Miami led the way as the No. 1 seed Tuesday in the initial College Football Playoff rankings for the 2026 season.
Last year's national runner-up is one of three remaining undefeated teams in the country and sits in top spot ahead of No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Utah, and No. 4 Indiana.
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 8-0 |
| 2 | Georgia | 7-1 |
| 3 | Utah | 8-0 |
| 4 | Indiana | 8-1 |
| 5 | Alabama | 6-2 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 7-1 |
| 7 | Texas | 6-2 |
| 8 | UCLA | 8-0 |
| 9 | BYU | 7-1 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | 6-2 |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 7-1 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 6-2 |
The biggest surprise in the 12-team field came with the Nos. 4 and 5 slots. No. 4 Indiana boasts an impressive 8-1 record, however, the Hoosiers' lone loss came to Ohio State, which sits eight spots lower with a 6-2 record. That gulf between the two programs suggests the committee might be taking the injury to Buckeyes starting quarterback Julian Sayin into account.
Alabama sitting at the No. 5 slot also raises some questions as the Crimson Tide have the same 6-2 record as a number of other SEC schools, most notably No. 13 Tennessee. The Volunteers beat Alabama 26-10 earlier this season, but are eight places back of the Tide in Tuesday's rankings.
Boise State comes in at No. 25 in the rankings, but would grab the 12th seed over Ohio State in the playoff as the top-ranked program from the Group of 6.
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Tennessee | 6-2 |
| 14 | LSU | 6-2 |
| 15 | Texas Tech | 7-1 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 7-1 |
| 17 | Houston | 6-2 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6-2 |
| 19 | Iowa | 6-2 |
| 20 | USC | 7-2 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 5-3 |
| 22 | Arizona | 6-2 |
| 23 | Oregon | 5-3 |
| 24 | Florida | 5-3 |
| 25 | Boise State | 7-1 |
Current bracket
Byes: Miami, Georgia, Utah, Indiana
First-round matchups
- No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Boise State
- No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
- No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Ole Miss
- No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 9 BYU
